


The Things That You Never Expected

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, Coffee Addiction, College AU, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, From Eliza, Gay John Laurens, Homophobia, How Do I Tag, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens is a Blessing on this Earth, Lets Face It Some People Are Dicks, M/M, Pansexual Hercules Mulligan, Pansexual Marquis de Lafayette, Pining, Racism, Sleep? Who's she?, Unrequited Crush, Will add tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23460352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: John Laurens thinks he's got it alright. Sure, college isn't working out perfectly, but at least he's got two great friends and a roof over his head, which is more than many.Then he meets the new student, Alexander Hamilton, and he finds himself falling harder than ever before.Life is complicated.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan
Comments: 18
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!  
> So I wrote this to stop myself going mad during quarantine, hope it's not too bad.  
> I will update when I can (ha, never), and stick with it, no matter the horrors of the first chapter, I promise it will get better!  
> Note: I currently reside in Bristol, UK, Europe, Earth, The Universe, and I have basically no clue about my own country's education system, let alone America's, so any misconceptions or mistakes, please let me know in the comments.
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated forever, they make my day.  
> Enjoy!

If there was one thing to make the day of one John Laurens just a little bit better, it was the sight of his two friends waiting for him outside the auditorium as he walked out of class. Introduction to Comparative Literature may be the dullest college freshman class to ever have been dreamt up in some long forgotten nightmare, but at least he could rely on some things to brighten his mood.  
"Laf! Herc! You two finally dragged yourselves out of bed for afternoon classes?"  
"Thought we'd better intervene before you slit Jefferson's throat with a ruler for something to do." Hercules smirked, and Lafayette guffawed at the remark.  
John swung his hands up in a mock surrender. "Okay, you got me!" He said easily. "I was planning multiple methods of murdering a grade-A asshole, but can you blame me?"  
Lafayette slung an arm around John's shoulders as they started to walk. "Mon ami, we are all behind you on your quest to crucify the _imbécile_. His time will come, I promise. He'll meet a bigger idiot than him someday."  
John grinned. At least he had some friends on this miserable planet. "What have you guys got this afternoon?"  
"Sociology," grumbled Hercules. "If I'm still awake by the end, call a doctor because I think I'll have had a brain transplant."  
Lafayette groaned as well. "History of the US. It's like they're trying to brainwash me into becoming a law-abiding American citizen!"  
John laughed, loudly and freely. "God, Laf. Heaven forbid that you actually have to obey the _law!_ "  
Lafayette turned away in disgust, and Hercules punched John gently in the shoulder in appreciation, quietly chuckling. "And when you do eventually get arrested, guess who'll be prosecuting you? Our favourite lawyer-to-be, John Laurens!"  
John groaned. "Oh God, don't remind me of the career that I'm going to be forced to uphold until Father dearest decides I'm not a disappointment anymore."  
"Oui, if you were prosecuting me, I would be unlucky to get so much as a fine!"  
"Oh yeah? You on trial? One pretty face on the jury and all you'll be able to do is stammer!"  
"Alright, children, break it up!" It was unusual for Mulligan to play the peacekeeper; normally he was content to watch the pair rip each other to shreds in the spirit of friendship, and more often than not was a part of it too. "You've got art next, right John?"  
"Yeah, on the other side of campus, working lunch - oh shit! My sketchpad!" John quickly stopped, slinging his bag off of his shoulder and rummaging around inside. He pawed past sandwiches and laptop chargers, but no familiar brown sketchbook. "I must have left it in the auditorium!"  
He glanced back down the hall where they had come from, then back to his friends. "I'll need to go back and grab it. I'll see you guys later?"  
"Sure."  
"See ya!"  
Class started in 10 minutes, but was far away enough to give the possibility of being late. Art was the only decent class on John's schedule this semester, and anyway, today was a talk about drawing marine life. He was not going to be late!

It wasn't until John had started pushing open the auditorium door that he heard the voices coming from inside. He froze mid - action, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.  
There was still time to turn and leave, but he needed that sketchpad. Damn it. He continued pushing open the door and strode in confidently.  
Inside, the Comparative Literature professor, Professor Washington, was conversing with a young man, presumably a student, that John didn't recognise. Surprisingly short, black hair and the deepest-looking dark eyes that John had ever seen.  
"Professor Washington, I'm very sorry to intrude, but I believe that I may have accidentally left my sketchpad in here. Did anyone happen to hand it in?"  
John tore his gaze from the quite handsome - no, don't think about that - young man, focusing on the elder as he nodded towards the desk in the corner of the lecture theater. "John? Ah yes, Madison handed it to me a few minutes ago. It's in the top drawer."  
John moved steadily over to the desk, not deliberately trying to listen in on the conversation that had been resumed in hushed tones, but not trying hard to block it out, either.  
"But sir, I only wanted to know about the upcoming assignments to get a head start."  
"Alex, it's your first day, and joining mid-semester is always difficult. Take a break, you'll need some time to adjust before you start taking on extra work."  
_First day?_ Well, that explained why John didn't recognise him. He wondered if he had a place to stay yet. Roommates were hard to find after the first weeks of the semester.  
"John? Have you found it?"  
He stood bolt upright, suddenly guilty and slightly flushed. _Why are you guilty? You've done nothing wrong! It's not your fault they were talking loud enough for you to hear!_ "Yes sir, thank you sir, have a nice day sir."  
John pulled his sketchpad out of the half-open drawer and almost ran out of the room, just managing to hold onto some last vestiges of composure. Why was he reacting like this? It made no sense. He closed the door behind him, leaning on it for a few seconds to catch his breath.  
John's eyes suddenly snapped open again, remembering where he was supposed to be.  
He set off walking across the campus at a fast pace, forcing any thought of dark-eyed strangers from his mind. 

He was four minutes and nineteen seconds late for the start of his art class.

**************************************************************************************************************

It had just gone 10 PM, and Alex had been in the campus library for six hours straight. He wasn't planning on returning to his dorm until the early hours of the morning, didn't want to risk socializing with his new roommate. Greetings were too much work. He had been lucky; through some miracle, even four weeks into the first semester, there was a student alone in a two-bedroom dorm and willing to share. Some guy called Aaron Burr.  
From what little Alex had picked up today, he was a quiet, dedicated student, already ahead of most of the other freshmen. This was the competition, and this was why Alex was slowly working through a stack of books and typing steadily into his battered, second hand laptop, working on next month's sociology essays.  
Today hadn't been too bad, as first days go. Took a taxi from the airport to campus, a mind numbing two hour journey as his laptop had died on the plane and he was finding it impossible to sleep. He arrived at campus in the late morning, and went straight to his new dorm room, took ten minutes to shower and change into fresh clothes, pack his rucksack with supplies and leave to try and navigate the large campus before his first class started.  
Again, Alex had been lucky, and some friendly sophomores had been happy to give him directions. He'd arrived early enough to make an impression as an eager student. It turned out that the Comparative Literature professor, Professor Washington, was the one who pushed for his application to be accepted, even late into the semester. 

A sudden commotion at the library front desk snapped Alex out of his work-based reverie. Why couldn't people just shut up and let others work?  
He'd never been able to stand distractions whilst working. No music, no busy places, they just stopped him from being able to focus. There were only three other people in the library, being too early in the semester for many people to be pulling all-nighters.  
Footsteps drew near to Alex's desk, and he looked up to the source of all of the noise. A young man stopped a few meters away from him, and crouched down, scanning the shelves and muttering under his breath.  
"India, India, where is it?"  
He had a nice voice, soothing, but more distracting than most people. Alex ignored a twinge of recognition and sighed internally. "Turn around, three shelves to your right, and one shelf up."  
The student turned, slightly confused, then processed what Alex had said and quickly found what he was looking for with a brief smile of satisfaction.  
"Wow, thanks! I'd probably have been looking for hours otherwise. Student on shift is no help at all, too busy sleeping at the desk. Just vaguely pointed over here when I asked."  
When Alex made no attempt at a reply, the man moved a little closer, face lighting up again in pleasant surprise. "Hey, it's you! You were the guy talking to Washington earlier! After Comparative Lit? I wasn't listening in or anything, though, I promise."  
Alex realised where the brief spark of recognition flared from. "Oh yeah, you'd forgotten your sketchpad. Are you always that disorganized?"  
The student grinned, and tapped his temple with one finger, just above a smattering of freckles. They were dotted over his cheeks like starbursts in the dark skies of Puerto Rico. "Good memory for faces, terrible memory for names."  
Alex ignored the clear question, and asked one of his own. "Why India?"  
"What? Oh, it's just an essay for US History. 'Compare the American Revolution with one other from history.' Most people are doing the French Revolution, but I'm doing the Indian Independence Movement, mostly because if I did the French Revolution, my friend Lafayette would flip his shit and never stop trying to bombard me with facts about his homeland. Never. I'll be consigned to Death by Ancient History."  
He pulled up a chair next to Alex, who was now resigned to leaving his work for God knows how long, and let this stranger's voice wash over him and distract him from everything he needed distracting from.  
"Thanks again for directing me to the right shelf. How on earth did you know where it was so quickly?"  
Alex grinned wryly. "Because by the end of the semester, you'll probably have still not spent as much time in here as I have already."  
"But it's your first day! You should be out having fun with friends or something, celebrating the start of a journey!"  
"OK, first? Fun isn't something I do. Second, I'll celebrate when I graduate, thanks. Thirdly, friends are also something I don't do. Also, you said you weren't listening!"  
"Alright, I concede. Maybe I did listen. A little bit. I didn't catch your name, though?"  
Alex felt a dozen snide retorts rise up in his throat, and each one would have let him get back to the essay half- finished and abandoned on the slightly scratched screen of his battered laptop, but he bit them all back and forced a smile.  
"Alexander Hamilton."  
"John Laurens."  
They shook hands solemnly, then laughed at the formality like two fourth-graders making an oath for the first time.  
"So, have you got lodgings sorted yet? That can be a real pain mid-semester."  
"Yeah, somehow they still had another freshman on his own in a double dorm, so I'm in there for now. Some guy called Aaron Burr?"  
John smirked a little. "God, you're in with Burr? I think I might know why he was on his own. Has his infuriatingly abject neutrality pissed you off yet?"  
"I still haven't actually met him yet."  
"What? Haven't you...been to your dorm yet?"  
"Only to dump my bags and shit."  
"Wait, so it's your first day on campus? And you still went to classes?"  
Alex flushed slightly and paused before replying. "Actually, it's my first day in America." Why the hell did he say that? There was no reason to say that. He'd put time into trying to cover up his accent, trying to stop his whole appearance from screaming 'immigrant'. And then he blurts it out to the first person he meets. Although, to be fair, this guy had a french friend, so maybe he wasn't all Southern elitism, 'Keep Out Foreigners'.  
John was practically speechless. "What... But... That's... Wow. Dedication. On your first day in the country? That's just...wow. I'm impressed. There's no way I could do that."  
_He **is** impressed,_ mused Alex. _That's genuine, at least._ "You know, that's the first time you've been speechless since we met. Did you know that? Do you always talk this much?"  
"No, I...I don't normally." Only around cute guys.  
Alex considered that response. He could see the curiosity burning in John's eyes, but he so far hadn't asked any of the questions that Alex wanted to put off for as long as possible.  
_Where did you come from?_  
_Why did you leave?_  
He had to admit it, it was nice to just talk to someone who didn't seem to care where he was born and why he wasn't right.

Maybe he did need a friend after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think John has used up all of my ellipsis quota for the next ten chapters. My english teacher would be thrilled.  
> Sorry about the dodgy POV, when I was proofreading this (by myself, no beta, all mistakes are my own) i noticed a few lines from Laurens' POV in the section of Alex's POV. Sorry about that. They sounded too good to cut.  
> Stay safe, don't die of boredom, and hit that kudos button!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Churned this out quicker than I was expecting, quarantine is doing wonders for my writing pace.  
> Okay, so Alex meets Lafayette, and I learned some basic HTML to make footnotes for french translations, are you proud of me guys?  
> Please bear in mind that I am terrible at french, and harbor a deep distrust of Google Translate, so all french phrases come from a battered french dictionary I found at the bottom of my bookshelf and the three grammar rules I remember from the french classes I actually paid attention in. Sorry in advance!  
> Also, introducing the grade-A asshole, so mild racism and homophobia. It isn't too bad, just warning you.
> 
> Slightly shorter chapter, just because what I wrote seemed too long for one, so I split it up and will get the second half to you soon!  
> Kudos and comments always appreciated, they help me stay sane when trapped my family.  
> Enjoy!

The cafeteria was a bad idea.  
Alex stood alone, a tray of food in his hands, debating whether or not to just dump everything in the nearest trash can and make a run for it. It was so busy, and the lack of empty tables made it impossible for him to crash down alone and block everything out.  
He tightened his grip on the trey, and took a deep breath. Alex scanned the room for some familiar face, surely there must be someone, somewhere -  
"Hey, Alexander!"  
Alex turned towards the voice, and saw John hollering at him from a few tables away. He resisted the urge to smile so widely that his face might split, just out of relief from having somewhere to go.  
Moving carefully to avoid clumsily placed chairs, Alex made his way over to the table where John was sitting with two others, casually eating. He placed his tray down gently on the round, vinyl table and grinned sheepishly as John introduced him.  
"Guys, this is Alexander, I met him in the library last night working himself to death."  
Alex smiled again. "Just Alex is fine."  
"Alex, this is Hercules, but he prefers Herc, so I call him Hercules most of the time just to annoy him. And this is Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette."  
The man grinned. "Oui, it's a bit of a mouthful, so most people call me Lafayette, or just Laf."  
Alex's face lit up, and he released a stream of rapid-fire french. "Ah, l'ami français de John! Il a parlé de toi hier soir. C'est si bon de parler à nouveau français à quelqu'un!" [1]

Hercules dropped his sandwich. "Whoa, I literally missed all of that!"  
John laughed. "Yeah, me too! I caught my name and the rest just went way over my head!" He turned to Alex. "You speak french?"  
"No, John, I don't, I just hypnotised all of you into thinking I could speak another language."  
Lafayette burst out into deep laughter. "Mon ami, where did you find this one?"  
"I agree! I like him already!" Hercules guffawed, shooting a grin at Alex, who smiled back, flushing slightly.  
"Actually, it's my first language."  
"What? No way!"  
"Yeah, man, you speak english better than I do!"  
At that moment, the laughter stopped, and smiles dropped off of faces. Alex turned to see a new face leering above him, a stranger who had stopped just level with their table.  
"Jefferson."  
"Mulligan! Managed to sew yourself a dress at your tailor's job yet? Will you be wearing it at the Pride parade on Sunday?"  
John sighed. "Leave off, Jefferson, we're just trying to eat. We haven't done anything to you."  
"Laurens. Speaking of Pride." The snide smirk that rose on Jefferson's face as he said that was enough to make Alex loathe him intensely, despite never having said a word to him before.  
"I don't see what gives you a right to talk about that."  
Jefferson smiled again, menacing as a shark. "Oooh, Laurens, found yourself a new boyfriend? Could have had more taste." He looked Alex up and down, grinning like his Christmas had come early. "Could have chosen an American."  
Alex flinched. Was it really that obvious? He vaguely heard Lafayette's chair scrape backwards as he defended him.  
Jefferson frowned in disappointment. "Lafayette, you could do so much better than this. Than these lowlives."  
Alex stood up and the cafeteria around them went silent. "Why don't you just turn around and take your hateful opinions back to the South? We didn't ask for this."  
Jefferson was shocked, and stammered slightly. "I-I..."  
"Go on, surprise me. Say something clever. Can't? Oh yeah, that's because you're an asshole parroting the assumptions and opinions of men who are lesser than we'll ever be."  
Another chair scraped the floor, and Hercules was standing beside him. "I'd suggest that you go now. People are staring and I'm sure that you don't want to be embarrassed more than you already have. Leave before we do something we'll regret later."  
Jefferson was speechless for a few seconds, then turned and left the cafeteria, dumping his food in the trash on his way out.  
Alex released a tense breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding, and slid back into his chair. As the levels of background noise in the room returned to normal, Hercules slapped him on the back.  
"Yeah, I definitely like this guy!"  
John was staring at him with a strange look across his face. "You didn't have to do that. You barely know us, and you've just made an influential enemy from a situation that was about us, not you."  
"I'm...sorry?"  
John started laughing again. "What? Don't apologise! We've all hated Jefferson for as long as we've known him, but we all lack the wit to insult him properly. Well, insult him properly in a language he'd understand. Jefferson might be all for French elitism, but he doesn't speak a word himself. I'm just saying, you didn't need to do it. So thanks. For doing it"  
"Oh. OK. I guess I've had enough of assholes already. I thought America might have it's shit together. Seems I was wrong. I guess, at least, there are some friends here?"  
Hercules grinned. "Man, you just ripped Jefferson to shreds! An enemy of his is totally a friend of ours!"  
Lafayette smiled at him as well. "Sure. It will be good to have someone who understands my french jokes."  
Alex turned to John, who laughed. "Of course."  
Alex flushed. "I've never had a group of friends before."  
Chuckling, Hercules slung an arm around Alex's shoulders for a few seconds, before dropping it. "Well, now you do."  
Alex chewed on his lip, then made a second of eye contact with John across the one empty seat between them. "John? When Jefferson said...Pride..." He caught sight of Lafayette's rapidly widening eyes and sudden, violent throat-slashing motions, and quickly backtracked. "I'm so sorry, forget I said that, it was so-"  
John held up a hand and stopped him mid-flow. "Yeah, I'm gay. And Jefferson seems to share the views of most people in my hometown. Including my father. Which is why I don't go home that often." His head sank into his hands, propping it up on the table. "And yeah, if you hate my guts now, you can just leave, I don't care."  
Alex glared at his hands for a moment, totally infuriated with himself, then took a deep breath and slid across the empty seat, bridging the gap, closing the gulf between him and John.  
"Um, I don't have a problem with it. It doesn't bother me."  
A skeptical snort emanated from the mass of hair that had come loose from the elastic band that had previously held back John's hair.  
Alex placed a hand gingerly on John's shoulder. "No, really. I'm bisexual."  
John's head shot up from where it had been buried in his hands. "Wait, seriously? You're actually bisexual?" He laughed loudly. "I could not have predicted this"  
Alex tilted his head to one side. "I don't get it."  
Lafayette grinned. "Well, I'm pansexual."  
"And me." Hercules stifled his own laughter.  
"Okay, now get it!"  
John snorted. "Don't let on to Jefferson, he'll talk about segregating the homosexuals!"  
They all cracked up again, and Alex smiled to himself. _Is this what it's like having friends? Because this is pretty good._ "So that Pride parade Jefferson mentioned, you guys going?"  
Hercules grimaced slightly. "We hadn't really talked about it. It's not really our sce-"  
"I'll go. If you're going." John spoke up suddenly, then instantly flushed as if he regretted his outburst. "I mean...you don't want to go on your own, not when you don't know your way around yet. With that many people, the streets all look the same."  
Lafayette shrugged. "Oui, I agree. I'm in. It will be good to, how do you say, soak up the atmosphere?"  
"Oh yeah? Ganging up on me, defending the new kid?" Hercules grumbled mightily. "Well, I guess I'd better tag along. Stop you getting into too much trouble."  
John slugged him jokingly in the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, you say that, but we all know you just don't like being left on your own. In the flat. Alone. Because it creeps you out."  
Alex and Lafayette burst out laughing again, and Hercules was outraged. "Once! I said that once! At last Halloween! Because you two had been deliberately freaking me out all day!"  
"Wondering what we've got planned for this year? Because there's only two weeks to wait until you find out!"  
"So has anyone got anything else on Sunday?" Hercules quickly changed the subject. "No? Cool. We can discuss plans later. Now I need to go, because I've got five and a half days to make John a costume!"  
More laughter ensued, and John groaned. "He's joking."  
Lafayette snickered, and doubt crept into his expression.  
"He'd better be joking."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1Ah, John's french friend! He mentioned you last night. It's so good to speak in french to someone again! [return to text]
> 
> Most people within five minutes of meeting me: Hey, are you gay?  
> Me: Yeah, I am, What are you going to do about it? I don't have to listen to your hate!  
> Most people: Um, I've got no problem with it.  
> Me: Oh  
> Self-projection? Never heard of it.
> 
> All of you, stay safe in these trying times, help each other out, put up with annoying siblings and keep enjoying yourselves, no matter what!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WORK, WORK  
> Introducing...Eliza Schuyler! *cue instant crush on Alex*  
> Hope you enjoy this, leave kudos and comments, they keep me going!

"Okay, he wasn't joking."  
John watched in horror as Hercules pulled out a sequined, rainbow carnival outfit from a white garment bag. His friends around him smirked at the shock and disbelief creeping up his face, and he turned and glared at Alex and Lafayette as they giggled behind his back.  
"I am not wearing that."  
Hercules grinned. "Why not? You were so eager to go on Tuesday!"  
"Yeah, and I'm regretting agreeing to go more by the minute!" John groaned, and half turned away as Hercules chuckled.  
"Nah, I'm just messing. It's a commission for tomorrow. Some people really do go all out, I just wanted to see your face!"  
Lafayette guffawed, and John spun around, annoyed. "Were you two in on this?"  
"Yep!" Alex grinned widely. "And I'm sorry, but you were absolutely hilarious! I wish I'd filmed it so I could have rubbed it in your face in two years time."  
John slowly began to smile as well, unable to stay angry at him for too long. "Yeah, alright, I guess it was quite funny."  
Lafayette and Hercules exchanged a look. "Mon ami, are you sick?"  
"Yeah, man, normally if we pulled a stunt like this, you wouldn't talk to us for hours. What's going on?"  
"Um, nothing?"  
Hercules narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you have an awesome revenge plan already, I'm totally gonna kill you before you can enact it."  
"Ha. Noted. I'll just wait until you least expect it, and hide ice beneath your pillow or something."  
"Ice beneath my pillow? So lame. Can't you think of anything better than kindergarten pranks?"  
Alex stepped between them, arms outstretched like he was walking on a tightrope. "Children, children. Lets pull our heads out of our arses and stop bickering before you rip each other's throats out!"  
John bit back his response and simply glared at Mulligan over Alex's arms.  
Lafayette quickly changed the subject. "I must say, John, that it is a shame that the costume is not for you, as you would never wear it, which means that I would have the opportunity to dress up tomorrow!"  
John groaned. "Thank you Laf, for that mental image that I never asked for or wanted."  
Laughter erupted in front of him as Alex almost doubled over with the force of the giggles racking through his body. "Laf...in that! That's...that's just...ridiculous!"  
John looked up and caught a flushed Hercules in the corner of his vision, but his friend ducked his head away as soon as he had seen that John had noticed.  
"Tomorrow it is, then"

****************************************************************************************************************

_John was right,_ thought Alex as he shouldered and pushed his way through the churning mass of bodies lining the clogged streets. _Every corner and turning looks the same with this many people around._  
They had agreed to meet at a small coffee shop that was apparently popular with campus students, being both close to the college and relatively cheap. According to Lafayette, it was unmissable, but it seemed impossible to find anywhere in this shifting, changing maze of packed streets.  
Alex barged his way through the streets for a few more minutes, turned a corner, and there it was. Stylus. He moved closer, and glimpsed through the window Lafayette, Hercules and John all hunched around a table together.  
"Sorry I'm late! Couldn't find the place. You were right."  
John laughed gently, and Alex suddenly noticed how his eyes lit up brightly when he was laughing. "Nah, it's alright. We haven't been here long."  
Hercules grinned. "This is why you need a phone. So we can yell at you via text to get your ass over here pronto because we are all waiting on you."  
"Yeah, I know, I'll get one as soon as I can." _As soon as I can get a job and save up enough money to buy one,_ Alex thought wryly. "So...are we gonna go out, or...?"  
Hercules stood up and clapped him on the back. "Alex. We've got drinks to order. Sit down, stop rushing, and buy some coffee."  
As if on cue, a young barista in a light blue blouse walked up to their table, notepad and pencil in hand. "Hi, guys. Been a while since I've seen you lot in here. How have you been?"  
Lafayette glanced at Alex, who had slumped down into a nearby chair, then gestured from him to the barista, and back again. "Alex, this mademoiselle is Elizabeth Schuyler. She's a sophomore at college who was lucky enough to get a job at the best coffee shop for miles." He flashed a smile at Eliza, but she barely glanced at him. "Eliza, meet Alexander Hamilton, passionate activist who seems intent on working himself to an early grave."  
Alex held out a slender hand. "Lovely to meet you."  
"Oh! Um...I...You...Hi." Eliza blushed, and glanced downwards, shaking his outstretched hand incredibly quickly, and dropping it just as fast. "Order! What can I get you?"  
"Usuals for us, please, 'Liza."  
She turned expectantly to Alex, before looking down again, blushing furiously once more. "And you?" "Well, if you're looking for a job, I think I can help." Eliza spoke quietly, but clearly. Her voice wavered only slightly, the only clue to her ramping nerves. "My sister, Angelica, she's a senior. She is the Head Student Librarian on campus, and she was talking about needing someone new to cover shifts at the desk. If you're interested, I could talk to her? If you want?"  
"At the library? I mean, yeah, thanks, that would be great." Alex grinned up at her in gratitude.  
"Man, I think we've found Alex's dream student job!"  
Eliza smiled again, purely aimed at Alex. "I'll have those drinks over to you in a minute." She turned and left, with one last glance back at the table before disappearing from view.  
Lafayette immediately leaned over the table towards Alex. "Mon ami, two months I have been trying to win over Miss Schuyler, and you waltz in and steal her heart from under my nose within a matter of seconds!" He moaned and wrapped his head in his hands, his voice coming out muffled. "How could you do this to me? I thought we were friends!"  
Hercules patted his friend gently on the back. "Come on, man, you'll get over her, you always do."  
"No, not Eliza, she was the One!"  
"Yeah yeah, you said that about the last one. And the one before that." Hercules began counting on his fingers. "There was Peter, and before him it was Christine, and Maria, and James, and-"  
"Alright, that's enough about my love life, thank you very much. Why don't we talk about your distinct lack of one instead?"  
"Touché."  
Alex and John watched this interaction with amusement, and shared a brief glance of barely contained laughter, and in that moment, John managed to forget all about Eliza Schuyler and her sudden reaction to his friend.  
But just then, Eliza returned with a tray of steaming mugs of coffee (and a herbal tea for Laf, because he was fussy about the amount of caffeine he put through his body), and that moment was broken by further stammering and blushing.  
The drinks were quickly drunk, and the bill paid, and four friends walked out of a coffee shop ready to face a world that was ready for them.

*****************************************************************************************************************

John remembered that day.  
He remembered the throngs of people lining the streets.  
He remembered the colours and streamers and flags,  
John remembered when someone stood on a table with a megaphone and started yelling about how they were all sinners and going to Hell. He remembered watching Alex climb onto the table too, and grab the megaphone, and start verbally attacking the person's claims, like his words were knives and he was a master bladesmith. John remembered laughing with Laf and Herc about their friend's complete lack of reticence.  
John remembered losing Alex at some point in the thick, thronging crowds. He remembered the sudden and consuming panic. He remembered turning and scanning the area for the familiar ink-coloured hair. He remembered reuniting with his friend, and Alex's strong grip on his hand. He remembered clinging to Alex's wrist like a lifeline in stormy seas.  
John remembered Laf pulling him to one side. He remembered him asking, "You like him, don't you. Alex." He remembered his own reply. "Yeah, he's awesome. I'm so pleased you guys like him too." He remembered the look on Laf's face when he said that, and realising that that wasn't what his friend meant.  
John remembered that day.  
He remembered the day that he realised that he was falling in love with Alexander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mic. Drop.  
> Like you hadn't read the tags already. Or picked up on my not-so-subtle hints.  
> Yeah, so I came out of my normal style for the last bit, but I wanted to try something new. Hope it's OK!  
> Stay safe and wash your hands, be kind to one another!  
> UPDATE: Aaaaagggggghhhh posted this without checking it was formatted correctly! I'm too tired for this! Someone send me coffee! Sorry!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this has taken me absolutely a g e s to write, no clue why. Sorry for not updating, will try to keep on top of it in the future!  
> Hope you enjoy!

It was three hours after John had left the parade early, when he heard the apartment door open and close, and the laughter of his friends filled the rooms. He had crashed down on the couch as soon as he walked through the doorway, and quickly stood up, hastily brushing crisp dust off of his jeans and trying to hide the fact that he'd barely moved for two hours.  
"Mon ami, have you been sitting there binging on snacks all this time?  
Damn. First course of action after being caught in the act; deny everything. "Nope."  
"Man, quit the lying, we've known you too long."  
"Yeah, but you don't know everything about me," John grumbled, annoyed at being seen through"  
"Hey." John looked up at the sound of the now-familiar voice into the same dark eyes that he'd spent the last hours trying not to think about. "Herc and Laf said I might as well come back with them. Hope you don't mind" And God, that smile.  
John responded with a smile of his own, and tried his hardest to ignore the smirking Lafayette, glaring at him over Alex's shoulder. "Nah, it's fine, of course. You can drop by when you want."  
Alex broke out into an even larger grin, then moved around to take a look at the rest of the apartment. "Really nice place you've got. Wish I could afford an off-site flat."  
"Yeah, well, we split the rent and we've all got part-time jobs. Also, John's dad is loaded so he's got a massive college fund."  
"It's a wonder he hasn't cut me off yet," John muttered, barely audible, but he still caught Alex's gaze as the student looked at him with a mix of curiosity and caution. He didn't say a word, though, and John was grateful for him keeping his mouth shut for once. That topic was not one that he felt like going into right now. But still, Alex deserved some answers at least.  
"He's a senator, in his fifth year."  
"Oh. And is he..."  
"Yes, Alex, he is a Republican."  
"Damn." Alex frowned, then smiled gently but with sympathy. "You must have had one fun childhood."  
John laughed weakly, but with no real humor in his voice, only a bleak acknowledgement. "Quite."  
Hercules broke the tension and discomfort growing in the pause that followed by suddenly speaking up. "Alright, you two, it's still early in the day, so are you gonna stand there moping all afternoon, or are you gonna do stuff and actually pretend that there is some life left in your bodies?"  
Alex turned slightly towards the door. "Actually...I was going to go. I've got a few essays that I need to right."  
"Oh yeah, and when are they due?"  
"...Next month."  
John grinned, grabbing Alex by the backs of his shoulders and steering him towards the couch. "Yeah, nope, not happening. You're staying here with us, and we're gonna watch a movie. Just don't let Laf pick what we watch."  
"Wait, why?"  
"Because he always picks some french film and refuses to put the subtitles on so me and Herc always sit around like idiots with no idea what's happening."  
Alex grinned widely. "Sounds good. Laf, you're up. Pick us a movie."  
Lafayette smirked at John. "Oui, one french movie coming up."  
John groaned, and glared at Alex. "If this is you trying to make sure that next time I let you go and work...it's working."  
"What, me? Taking revenge?" Alex grinned demurely and John fought back a blush. "I don't have a clue what your talking about!"

One hour later and the slowly setting sun was beginning to leech the light from the room. The small television screen glowed over the people in the room, and the delicate french speech flowed out of the speakers.  
Alex and Lafayette were both gazing at the screen, enraptured at the story that had flown miles over John's head. Both he and Hercules had given up trying to follow the plot a while back,and Herc had sunk back into his chair, messaging people on his phone.  
John was otherwise occupied. All of his attention was focused on the point where Alex's knee was lightly resting against his own as they sat next to each other on the couch. Alex's blue denim jeans were faded, and slightly frayed over the knee, which contrasted with John's black fitted ones, new and not at all frayed.  
John's focus then shifted to Alex's hands as they shifted in their position entwined in his lap. Alex had long, slender fingers, pianist's hands. They looked firm, but slightly ink stained from the notepad and pen he carried everywhere around with him. On a couple of fingers, there were thin, white scars nicked along the flesh; John wondered what had caused them.  
Without warning, Alex suddenly sighed, and collapsed back into the couch, his body pressing into John's as he relaxed into the cushions, his head lolling gently onto John's shoulder. Jon could barely draw air into his shaking lungs at the sensation of the contact with Alex, and it wasn't helped by Alex drawing his arms up to his chest and practically snuggling into John's warm body.  
Lafayette finally tore his eyes away from the movie and took notice of the scene unfolding in the room around him, raising an eyebrow suggestively. John used the arm that wasn't trapped by Alex's still body and aggressively - but silently - flipped him off. Laf just turned back to the film, smirking and occasionally shooting the pair meaningful looks across the room.  
It was a few minutes before John realised that Alex was asleep against him, and began to gently slide his right arm out from underneath the sleeping form of his friend. Limb freed, there seemed no place to put it that wouldn't be in a very awkward position that would ache within minutes, so he lowered his arm delicately across Alex's shoulder and up to his cheek, the slight stubble tickling his wrist.  
John began, with no real decision or awareness, to stroke the loose curls scattering Alex's temples back into place from where they had fallen from the simple ponytail holding back Alex's hair. It wasn't until he noticed Lafayette staring at them goggle-eyed that he became fully aware of the action, and snatched his arm abruptly away, causing Alex to grumble slightly in his unconscious state.  
So John was left with his arm straight up in the air, Lafayette trying his hardest not to burst out laughing, and a movie that still had half an hour left on it's running time. He kept his arm hovering upright the entire time, dead straight, like he was back in middle school again.  
John spent the thirty minutes, shifting ever so slowly out from underneath Alex, stopping every time the man re-shifted, or moaned quietly in his sleep. By the time the credits were rolling, he was far enough out to risk standing up, and after he'd done so, he surveyed the sleeping form beneath him with a slight disbelief.  
Hercules came over to join him, and leaned on the back of the couch. "You Morpheus, or something? Because I swear you'd have to be a god of dreams to get this guy to go to sleep. He literally lives off nothing but coffee."  
John smiled slightly, but said nothing. He crossed the room to a cupboard, and pulled out a stack of blankets. He brought them back over to the couch, and draped them gently over the sleeping body.  
Let him sleep for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, trying to understand US politics: Right, so this shouldn't be too hard...  
> Me, one hour later: *smashing my laptop against a wall* Why is this so hard? How have they managed to make this more complicated than British politics? HOW?  
> Keep safe, keep healthy, try not to lose your minds in quarantine!


End file.
